The Architect

A clean, safe place to sleep and shower, and a great budget option if that's what you need. The building has an old charm, but the rooms are small and dated, with no frills or extras. The bed and shower were fine, and I didn't see bed bugs despite reading that in other reviews. The location is hard to beat, just 3 or 4 blocks from the White House under 160. They even let us check in two hours early on a busy weekend.

They can hold your bags if you arrive early or have a late train, which is handy for getting out to see DC, especially in the summer heat. The room was clean and basic, and I really liked the historic decor. Staff were very friendly. I'd definitely stay again.

We booked three weeks ahead for a DC Brain Tumor walk at a very reasonable rate. On check-in day, I saw a cancellation email, even though I hadn't canceled anything. When I called, the front desk said they'd canceled the booking because of a “system error,” but hadn't tried to call or contact me. They offered to book us again for over three times the original price, blaming “high demand.” The front desk was not hospitable and did nothing to fix a problem that felt like a fraudulent move by the hotel.

My friend and I had paid in full for the night, but a family medical emergency meant my friend couldn't come. The reservation was under his name. Super.com had added me as a secondary guest, but the hotel's system didn't show that, which was strange since I've never had this problem at another hotel. The receptionist kept telling me to call Expedia, so I spent two hours doing that in the lobby. She showed no empathy, shouted that there was only one thing I could do, and then accused me of “harrassing” her when I tried to suggest ways to sort it out. I was only trying to use something I'd already paid for. The employee was a Black woman working from 10 AM onwards on 15 Feb. Management, being unaccommodating is one thing, but staff screaming at guests is unacceptable. While I was waiting for help, she was also gone for a long stretch, about 30 minutes, as shown in the photo I attached. Other guests trying to check out at the time couldn't get help either. I also found it odd that she could give me my Expedia 14-digit booking number, which she said was against the rules, but wouldn't check in someone whose name was on the reservation. It seemed like the rules were being applied whenever she wanted. I'd tell other guests to stay away if they expect customer service. For the prices they're charging, a hostel is better.